Steam-trap.



PATBNTBD SEPT. a, 1907.

' A. SORGE, JB. STEAM TRAP.

APPLIUATIGN FILED 11011.29, 1901. BBNBWBD 11111.16, 1905.

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In 1 sin" No. 864,869. PATENTBD SEPT. s, 1907. A SORGE, JB STEAM TRAP.

APPLIATION FILED Novfg, 1901. BEHEWED JAN. 16, 1905.

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No. 864,869. PATENTES SEPT. s. 1907.

A. SORGE, JB.

l STEAM TRAP. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 19131.l BEHEWED JAN. 18, 190W.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

110.994,869. PATENTED s111313, 1997.

A. SORGE, JR.

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No. 864,869. `PALENTED SEPT. s, 1907.

A. SORGE, JR.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED HOV. 29. 190,1. RENEWED JAI. 16I 1905.

'1 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

No. 864,869. PATENTED SEPT. a, 1907.

A. SORGE, JB.

Y STEAM TRAP. APPLIGATION rILnn Nov. 29, 1901. -BNBWBD JAN. 16, 1905.

TSHBBTSrSHEET '6.

v PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907.

A. SORGE, JR. STEAM TRAP. PPLIOATION ruim Nov. 29, 1901. vBBNEWBD JAN.1e, 1905.

'7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ADOLPH SORGE, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO A. SORGE JR. COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

STEAM-TRAP.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

Application filed November 29, 1901, Serial No. 33,992. Renewed January16, 1905. Serial No. 241,194.

To all whom 'it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, Aootrn Sonori, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Gool: and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in Steam-'Traps of whichthe .following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam traps or draiuers of that characterwhich are designed to collect and discharge or drain off the water ofcondensation resulting l in any given steam containing receptacle orsystem of piping to which the trap may be applied, and more particularlyit relates to improvements in that class of such drai ners known asgravity traps and which may be either return traps for discharging thewater of l condensation from a lower to aphigher pressure and wherein amovable receiver or chamber collects the water when in a raised positionand then descends under the weight of the water collected to therebyadmit steam to expel the water, and usually to return it to theheilen-or maybe Utank traps designed to discharge the water from ahigher to a lower pressure, and which are similarly constructed exceptthat the collected water flows out of the receiver under the pressure ofthe system drained when the outlet is opened b y the descent of thereceiver.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved constriurtion indraincrs of this character', more efiicient and economical in itsworking and less liable to get ont of order than any similar deviceheretofore known, and

3 0 to this ond it consists in the matters herein set forth and morelparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is atop plan view of anautonnttic return trap or drainer constructed in accordance with myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation tlmrcof. Fig. 3 is an endelevation thereof. Fig. ll is a transverse sectionthereof taken on line4 4 of Fig. I. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section thereof taken online 5-5of Fig. l.. Fig. G is an exterior end view of `ig. 7 is au end view ofthe same with the valve chest. l

Fig. 8 is a vertical Fig. 9 is a the head of the chest removed.

longitudinal section of the valve chest. similar horizontal sectionthereof. Fig. l() is a detail Fig. ll is a Fig. I2

view in end elevation of the valve chest. transverse sectional detail ofthe valve chest.

is a sectional detail showing the manner of connecting the flexibletubing to the receiver. Fig. I3 is a top plan view of a tank trap ordrainer constructed in accordance with. my improvements. Fig. I4 is aside elevation thereof. Fig. I5 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. liis an opposite end elevation thereof.

Referring .first to the return trap illustrated in Figs. 1|.-l2,inclusive, Il designates a water receiving chamber mounted to oscillateupon a hollow trunnion 2 that is supported within bearings 3 on anysuitable frame work 4. The same trunnion 2 also supports a weight 5 55which is arranged opposite to the receiver l and is of sufficient weightto over balance the latter when empty.

As herein sh own this weight is adjustably secured, by a set screw (i orotherwise, upon an arm 7 which projects laterally from the trunnion, andthe limit of movement 6() of the trap in one direction is arranged to bevaried as desired by means of an adjustable stop 8, consisting in thisinstance of a set screw tapped into the weight and adapted to contactwith the frame l of the trap when the weight swings down, a similar stop9 being herein 65 shown as provided on the under side of the receiver 1to adjustably limit the movement of the trap in the opposite direction.

The receiver itself is herein shown as made of hollow spherical form andis bolted to the flanged end of a hollow arm l0 that leads off from thetrunnion 2 at a point nearly o pposite the weight supporting arm 7. Thepassage through this hollow arm l0 is in communication at its inner endwith the interior of the hollow trunnion 27 while from its outer end apipe or passage 75 Il leads upwardly within the receiver l. to a pointnear the top thereof, this pipe o1' passage ll in connection with thecommunicating passage through the hollow trunnion 2, forming an inlet bywhich steam is admitted to the receiving chamber I. Water is admitted lto said chamber, and is also discharged therefrom, through a port l2located at the bottom of the chamber and communicating with a flexibletube I3 leading to water inlet and outlet pipes I4 and I5 in which check valves IG'and I7, and a strainer 18, if desired, are suit- 85 ablyprovided. The tubing I3 will preferably be a flexible metallic tubingand will be soldered or otherwise secured at one end within the mouth ofthe port l2 of the receiver to form a watertight joint therewith.

Its opposite end is herein shown as similarly inserted and securedwithin a bracket I9 on the base plate, into which bracket the connectionleading to the inlet and outlet pipes ld and l5 is also tapped.

Admission of steam to the receiver through the .hollow trunnion 2 iscontrolled by an oscillatory valve V lo- 95 cated within a valve chest20 into which the trunniou enters through a stuffing box 2l.. This valvecomprises a valve plate 22 secured to and turning with the trimmen, andan opposing valve seat 23 carried upon the inner face of .the head 24 ofthe valve chest and l00 through which steam inlet and outlet ports orpassages 25 and 2G lead out respectively to steam and veut pipes 27 and28. The inner end of the steam port 25 is located at some distance fromthe axis of the trunnion,

and that portion 29 of the valve seat surrounding said 105 port isfinished olf to a plane surface at an angle to said axis. The opposingportion 30 of the valve plate is correspondingly finished off to a planesurface at the same angle to the axis, and when brought into contact bythe oscillation of the trunnion, these two surfaces will exactlycoincide and close the steam port. Similarly the inner end ofthe ventport 26 is located at some distance from the axis of the trunnion andthe surface 3l of the valve seat 23 surrounding said vent port isfinished off on plane at an angle to the axis of .the trunnion but at areverse angle from that of the surface 29 surrounding the steam port,while the opposing surface 32 of thc valve plate 2O is finished off on aplane at the same reverse angle to the axis, and as the trunnion isoscillated back to bring these surfaces in contact they will in turnexactly coincide and close the vent port. The movement of the valvewhich thus closes the steam port will open the vent port, and viceversa, the valve movement which closes the vent port will open the steamport, these movements correspond respectively with the rising an dfalling movements of the receiver 1. When the receiver is raised and thevent port is open and the steam port closed, the water of condensationdrainingr from the connected system of piping will enter the receiverthrough the inlet pipe 14, past the check valve 1G and gradually collecttherein, and eventually the weight of this collected water will becomesu fiicient to overcome the propender-ating gravity of the weight 5 andthe frictional resistance on the trunnion. When this point is reached,the receiver will swing down and thus oscillate the valve plate 22 so asto close the vent and open the steam port, and the entering steam willthen exert its pressure on the surface of the collected water in thereceiver and force it out through the outlet pipe 15 past the checkvalve 17. This discharge of its contents will in turn lighten thereceiver until its weight, together with the frictional resistance onthe trunnion becomes less than the gravity of the weight 5, whereuponthe latter will descend, thus raising the receiver and closing the steamand opening the vent port. The opening and closing movements of thevalve do not, however, exactly coincide with the rising and fallingmovements of the receiver since, in order to render the valve travel andtime of movement as short as possible, and to permit the moving parts toacquire a considerable momentum before any very great resistance isoffered to their movement, a certain amount of lost motion is allowedbetween the valve plate and trunnion. This is provided for, as herebyshown, by mounting the valve plate upon the end of the trunnion in suchmanner as to permit of its having a limited oscillatory movementthereon, such movement being herein shown as determined and limited bystops in the form of set-screws 33, the inner ends of which extend intoand alternately engage the ends of a circumferential slot 34 on thetrunnion. No motion will thus be transmitted to the valve plate untilthe unbalanced weight has overcome the friction on the trunnion and thereceiver has started well along on its rising or falling movement. Thenthe end of the slot 34 will strike the one or the other of thestop-screws 33 and suddenly and rapidly throw the valve over to closethe open and open the closed port and admit or exhaust the steamaccordingly.

As herein shown, the valve plate 22 is, as a matter of convenience inconstruction and for the sake of easy re` moval and repair, made with aseparable hub section 35 to which the valve seat is rigidly secured bybolts 36,

these bolts dropping into slots 37 in the hub section so that it is onlynecessary to loosen them slightly in order to lift the valve plate freefrom the hub. To the same end the valve seat 23 is herein shown as madeseparate from the head 24 of the valve chest and detachably securedthereto by bolts 37, a key-38 being applied between the contactingsurfaces of the seat and head to insure the exact positioning of thealinement oi the seat. A removable cover plate 38 secured over the chestby bolts 39 and forming the top of said chest, insures ready access tothose ports of the inclosed valve beneath.

In the tank trap shown in Figs. 13-16, inclusive, the construction isgenerally the same as in the return trap hereinbeforedescribed exceptthat the receiver 1 is inverted, while the oscillatory valve V withinthe steam chest is provided with but a single port 4() which leads to adischarge pipe 41, the steam connection being omitted entirely. Theflexible tubing 13 enters the receiver in this case near its top,instead of near its bottom, and the pipe or passage 1l which connectswith the interior of the hollow trunnion 2 leads downwardly within thereceiver to a point near the bottom thereof instead of upwardly towardthe top as before. The flexible tubing serves solely as an inlet for theentering water of condensation, and is connected through pipe 14 andstrainer 18 with the system to be drained, but is devoid of any outletconnection 0r check valves, these being unnecessary. The entering watergraduallyl fills the receiver until its weight overcomes thepreponderating gravity of the weight 5 together with the friction of thestuffing box and bearings. Then this occurs the receiver descends and somoves the valve V as to open the outlet port 40 and permit the wateraccumulated in the receiver to pass out through the pipe 11, hollowtrunnion 2, valve chest 20, and outlet port 40 under the pressureexisting in the system with which the trap is connected. Then justbefore the water has been forced out to such an extent as to uncover thelower end of the pipe 11, the preponderating gravity of the weight 5will in turn overcome the weight of the receiver and the friction of thestuffing box and bearings and again oscillate the valve so as to closethe outlet port, thus preventin'g the steam from blowing through, andpermitting the condensation to again collect in the receiver.

My improved traps are particularly advantageous in that they require theuse of but a single stuiling box which also serves as a means ofadjusting the friction on the trunnion to the exact amount required forthe proper operation of the device. The improved form of valve set forthis exceedingly simple in its nature and is not likely to get out oforder, and owing toits peculiar construction, its opposing surfacesconstantly tend to wedge themselves more closely and to thus render thevalve increasingly tight and less liable to leakage. Various changes,may, however, be made in the details of the construction shown withoutdeparture from the broad spirit of the invention claimed.

I claim as my invention'.-

l. A steam trap or drainer comprisinga counterweighted receivinglchamber mounted upon a hollow trunnion, a valve chest into which thetrunnion enters and with which the receivingl chamber communicatesthrough the hollow trunnion, a port in the valve chest, and a valveplate for controlling said port mounted within the valve chest upon thehollow trunnion and turning therewith but having a lost motion thereon,substantially as dei scribed.

2. A steam4 trap or drainer comprising a counterweighted receivingchamber mounted upon a hollow trunnion, a valve chest into which thetrunnion enters and with which the receiving chamber communicatesthrough the hollow trunnion, steam and exhaust ports in the valve chest.and a valve mounted within the valve chest and turning therein tocontrol said ports, the opposing surfaces of the valve plate and seat ofeach port extending obliquely to the axis of the trunnion, substantiallyas described.

3. A steam trap or drainer comprisingr a counter weighted receivingchamber mounted upon a hollow trunnion, a valve chest into which thetrunnion `enters and with which the receiving' chamber communicatesthrough the hollow trunnion, steam and exhaust ports in the valve chest,and a valve plate mounted within the valve chest upon the hollowtrunnion and turning therewith to control said ports and having alimited oscillatory lost motion upon the trunnion, the opposing surfacesof the valve plate and seat of each port extending obliquely to the axisof the trunnion, substantially as described.

A steam trap or drainer comprising a counterweighted receiving chambermounted upon a hollow trunnion, a valve chest into which the trunnionenters through a stulling box and with which the receiving chambercommunicates through the hollow trunnion, steam and exhaust ports in thevalve chest, and a Valve plate mounted within the valve chest upon thehollow trunnion and turning therewith to control said ports, theopposing surfaces ot the valve plate and seat of one port extendingobliquely to the axis of the trunnion and the opposing surfaces of thevalve plate and seat of the other port also extending obliquely to theaxis of the trunnion but at a reverse angle from the surfaces of theiirst port, substantially as de scribed.

5. A steam trap or drainer comprising a counterweighted receivingchamber mounted upon a hollow trunnion, a valve chest into which thetrunnion enters through a stuiling box and with which the receiving`chamber communicates through the hollow trunnion, steam and exhaustports in the valve chest, and a valve plate mounted within the valvechest upon the hollow trunnion and turning therewith to control saidports and having a limited oscillatory lost motion upon the trunnion,the opposing surfaces of the valve plate and seat of one port extendingobliquely to the axis of the trunnon and the opposingl surfaces of thevalve plate and seat of the other port also extending obliquely to theaxis of the truunion but at a reverse angle from the surfaces of thefirst port, substantially as described.

A steam trap or drainer comprisingl a receiving chamber mounted upon ahollow trunnion and communicatingtherewith, a weight mounted upon thehollow trunnion opposite the receiving chamber to counter-balance thelatter, a llexible pipe connected with the chamber at a distance fromthe trunnion, a valve chest into which the trunnion enters through astuiling box and with which the receiving chamber communicates throughthe hollow trunnion, steam and exhaust ports in the valve chest, and avalve plate mounted within the valve chest upon the hollow trunnion andturning therewith to control said ports, the opposingl surfaces of thevalve plate and seat of each port extending obliquely to the axis of thetrunnion, substantially as described.

7. A steam trap or drainer comprising a receiving; chamher mounted upona hollowtrunnion and communicatingl therewith, a weight mounted upon thetrunnion opposite the receiving chamber to counter-balance the latter, ailexible pipe connected with the chamber at a distance from thetrunnion, a valve chest into which the trunnion enters through astuiiing box and with which the receiving chamber communicates throughthe hollow trunnion, steam and exhaust ports in the valve chest, and avalve plate mounted within the valve chest upon the hollow trunniou andturning therewith to control said ports, the opposing surfaces ot thevalve plate and seat of one port extending obliquely to the axis of thetrunnion and the opposing surfaces of the valve plate and seat of theother port also extendingoblimited oscillatory motion upon the trunnion,

liquely to the axis of the trunnion but at a reverse angle from thesurface of the lirst port, substantially as described.

S. A steam trap or drainer comprising a receivingl chamber mounted upona hollow trunnion and communicating therewith, a weight mounted upon thetrunnion to counterbalance the latter, a ilexible pipe connected withthe chamber at a distance from the trunnion, a valve chest into whichthe trunnion enters and wilh which the receiving chamber communicatesthrough the hollow trunnion, steam and exhaust ports in the valve chest,and a valve plate mounted within the valve chest upon the hollowtrunnion and turning therewith to control said ports, and having a theopposing surfaces of the valve seat of each port extending obliquely tothe axis of the trunnion, substantially as described.

l). A steam trap or drainer comprisingla receiving chamber mounted upona hollow trunnion and comnmnicating therewith, a weight mounted upon thetrunnion to counterbalance the latter, a flexible pipe connected withthe chamber at a distance from the trunnion, a valve chest into whichthe trunnion enters and with which the receiving chamber communicatesthrough the hollow trunnion, steam and exhaust ports in the valve chest,and a valve plate mounted within the valve chest upon the hollowtrunnion and turning therewith to control said ports and havingl alimited oscillatory motion upon the trunnion, the opposing surfaces ofthe valve` plate and seat of one port extending` obliqueiY to the axisof the trunnion and the opposing surfaces and seat of the other portalso extending obliquely to the axis of the trunnion but at a reverseangle from the surface o1 the Iirst port, substantially as described-10. A steam trap or drainer comprising a counterweighted receivingchamber mounted upon a hollow trunnion, a valve chest into which thetrunnion enters and with which the receiving chamber communicatesthrough the hollow trunnion, a flexible pipe connected with the chamberat a distance from the trunnion, steam and exhaust ports in the valvechest, and a valve plate mounted upon the trunnion within the valvechest and turning` therewith to control said ports, substantially asdescribed.

l1. A steam trap or drainer comprising,l a receiving chamber mountedupon a hollow trunnion and communicating therewith, a weight mountedupon the trunnion opposite the receiving chamber to counter-balance thelatter, a flexible pipe connected with the chamber at a distance fromthe trunnion, a valve chest into which the trunuion enters and withwhich the receivingr chamber communicates through the hollow trunnion,steam and exhaust ports in the valve chest, a valve plate mounted uponthe trunnion within the valve chest and turning therewith to controlsaid ports, substantially as described.

l2. A steam trap or drainer comprising a receiving chamber mounted upona hollow trunnion and communieating therewith through a pipe extendingup into the chamber to a point near thc top thereof, a weight mountedupon the trunnion opposite the receiving chamber to counter-balance thelatter, a ilexible pipe connected with the chamber near the bottomthereof, and a valve operated by the chamber movement to control theilow therein, substantially as described.

13. A steam trap or drainer comprising` a receiving` chamber mountedupon a hollow trunnion and communicating therewith through a pipeextending up into the chamber to a point near the top thereof, a weightmounted upon the trunniou opposite the receiving chamber tocounter-balance the latter, a tlcxible pipe connected with the chambernear the bottom thereof, a valve chest into which the hollow trunnionprojects, and a valve within said chest mounted upon and turning withthe trunnion to control the llow through the receiving chamber,substantially as described.

l-l. A steam trap or drainer comprising a receiving chamber mounted upona hollow trunnion and communicating therewith, a counterl)alancingweight connected to the chamber, a llexible pipe connected with thechamber at a distance from the trunnion, inlet and outlet pipesconnected to this flexible pipe and each being provided with a checkvalve, a valve chest into which the hollow trunnion lll-0 extends, asteam inlet entering the valve chest, and valve devices operativelyconnected to the end of the hollow trunnion within the steam chest.

15. A steam trap or drainer comprising` a counterweighted receiving;chamber mounted upon a hollow trunnion, said hollow ti'unnion havingcommunication with the interior of the chamber, inlet and outlet Waterpipes connected to the receivingchaniber at va distance from thetrunnion connection, valves in these pipes, a valve chest into which thehollow trunnion extends, and a twoancmber valve in the chest, one being;operatively connected to the trunnion and the other to the chest, thislatter member being provided with a steam inlet and exhaust port,substantially as described.

1G. A steam trap or drainer comprising a receiving chamber gravitatinglymounted, counterbalancing means connected therewith, a rotativelymounted trunnion or pipe connected to the interior of the receivingchamber, a valve chest inclosine`- the inlet end of this trunnion, andvalve devices within said chest operativeLsv connected to the trunnion,substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoingr as my invention, I alix mysignature in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this :27th day ofNovember, A. D, 1901,

A. SORGE, Jn.

Witnesses HENRY W. CARTER, K. A. COSTELLO.

